• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in anuncontrolled way and, in some cases, to metastasize (spread).Cancer is not one disease. It is a group of more than 100 different anddistinctive diseases.Cancer can involve any tissue of the body and have many differentforms in each body area. Most cancers are named for the type of cell ororgan in which they start. If a cancer spreads (metastasizes), the newtumor bears the same name as the original (primary) tumor. The frequency of a particular cancer may depend on gender. While skincancer is the most common type of malignancy for both men andwomen, the second most common type in men is prostate cancer andin women, breast cancer.Cancer frequency does not equate to cancer mortality. Skin cancers areoften curable. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancerfor both men and women in the United States today.Benign tumors are NOT cancer; malignant tumors are cancer. Cancer isNOT contagious.Cancer is the Latin word for crab. The ancients used the word to meana malignancy, doubtless because of the crab-like tenacity a malignanttumor sometimes seems to show in grasping the tissues it invades.Cancer may also be called malignancy, a malignant tumor, or aneoplasm (literally, a new growth). Types of cancer* Bone Cancer* Brain Cancer* Breast Cancer
 
* Endocrine Cancer* Gastrointestinal Cancer* Gynecologic Cancer* Head & Neck Cancer* Leukemia* Lung Cancer* Lymphoma* Multiple Myeloma* Prostate Cancer* Skin Cancer* Soft Tissue Sarcomaymptoms of CancerA broad spectrum of non-specific cancer symptoms may include:* Persistent Fatigue: Fatigue is one of the most commonlyexperienced cancer symptoms. It is usually more common when thecancer is advanced, but still occurs in the early stages of somecancers. Anemia is commonly the culprit -- a condition that isassociated with many types of cancer, especially types affecting thebowel. Fatigue is a symptom of both malignant and non-malignantconditions and should be evaluated by a physician.* Unintentional Weight Loss: While it may be a welcome surprise tolose weight without trying, it can be a red flag for many illnesses,including cancer. Losing 10 pounds or more unintentionally definitelywarrants a visit to the doctor. This type of weight loss can occur with orwithout loss of appetite. Remember, weight loss can be a symptom of cancer, but is also a symptom of many other illnesses, too.* Pain Typically, pain is not an early symptom of cancer, except insome cancer types like those that spread to the bone. Pain generally
 
occurs when cancer spreads and begins to affect other organs andnerves.Lower pack pain is cancer symptom that is associated with ovariancancer and colon cancer. Shoulder pain can also be a symptom of lungcancer. Pain in the form of headaches can be associated with braintumors (malignant and benign).Stomach pains can be related to types of cancer, like stomachcancer, pancreatic cancer, and many others. Stomach pain can be avery vague symptom because so many illnesses can cause stomachpain.* Fever: A fever is a very non-specific symptom of many mild tosevere conditions, including cancer. In relation to cancer, a fever that ispersistent or one that comes and goes frequently can signal stress onthe immune system. Fevers are commonly associated with types of cancer that affects the blood, like leukemia and lymphoma, but arealso common in people whose cancer has spread.* Bowel Changes: If you experience constipation, diarrhea, blood inthe stools, gas, thinner stools, or just a general overall change in bowelhabits, see your doctor. These symptoms are most commonlyassociated with colon cancer, but are also related to other cancertypes.* Chronic Cough: A persistent, new cough or a cough that won't goaway or becomes worse needs to be evaluated by a doctor. Bloodand/or mucus may accompany the cough and can be caused manyconditions. In relation to cancer, a chronic cough with blood or mucuscan be symptom of lung cancer.Keep in mind that these are very general, vague symptoms of cancer. If you have one or two of these symptoms, it is not a red flag for cancerbut more an indication to your doctor to run certain medical tests. Thesymptoms listed above are experienced by most people with cancer atvarious stages of their disease, but are also linked to many other non-
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...